Noble Deeds of the World's HeroinesBy: Henry Charles Moore

First Page:

[Frontispiece: 'YOU SHALL NOT KILL MY MISTRESS UNTIL YOU HAVE KILLED
ME!']

[Illustration: Title page]

Noble Deeds of the

World's Heroines

By

HENRY CHARLES MOORE

WITH COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON

THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY

4 Bouverie Street & 65 St. Paul's Churchyard

1903

PREFACE

In these pages I have tried to show how women, old and young, in many
ranks of life, have proved themselves in times of trial to possess as
much courage and daring as men. Some of these 'Brave Women' died for
their Master's sake, whilst others, in His cause, passed through dire
peril and grievous suffering. All of them counted not their lives dear
unto them, so long only as they might do their duty. I have designedly
omitted many familiar heroines in the hope of winning attention for
some whose deeds have been less widely recognised.

H. C. M.

CONTENTS

I. BRAVE DEEDS OF RESCUE BY WOMEN

ALICE AYRES AND THE UNION STREET FIRE
GRACE BUSSELL AND THE WRECK OF THE GEORGETTE
CATHERINE VASSEUR, THE HEROINE OF NOYEN
MARY ROGERS, AND THE WRECK OF THE STELLA
MADELEINE BLANCHET, THE HEROINE OF BUZANÇAIS
HANNAH ROSBOTHAM AND THE CHILDREN OF SUTTON SCHOOL

MARY SEACOLE, THE SOLDIERS' FRIEND
LAURA SECORD, A CANADIAN HEROINE
LADY BANKES AND THE SIEGE OF CORFE CASTLE
LADY HARRIET ACLAND, A HEROINE OF THE AMERICAN WAR
AIMÉE LADOINSKI AND THE RETREAT
LADY SALE AND AN AFGHAN CAPTIVITY
ETHEL ST. CLAIR GRIMWOOD AND THE ESCAPE FROM MANIPUR
THREE SOLDIERS' WIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA

It was two o'clock in the morning when this cry was heard in Union
Street, Borough, London, and the people who ran to the spot saw an oil
shop in flames, and at a window above it a servant girl, Alice Ayres,
screaming for help. Some rushed off to summon the fire brigade, but
those who remained feared that before it could arrive the place would
be gutted.

'Jump! jump!' they shouted, and stretched out their coats to break her
fall. But instead of jumping Alice Ayres disappeared from the window.
There were other people in the house, and she was determined not to
seek safety for herself until she had made an attempt to save their
lives.

Hurrying to the room where her master, mistress, and one child slept,
she battered at the door, and awakening them warned them of their
danger. Then through smoke and flames she sped back to her own room,
where three children slept in her charge. She gave one look out of the
window, but the firemen were not yet on the scene.

'Jump! jump!' the crowd shouted.

But Alice Ayres ignored the entreaties, for she had determined to save
the children or die in the attempt. Her first idea was to tie two
sheets together and lower the children one by one; but, finding that
the sheets would not bear their weight, she dragged a feather bed to
the window and dropped it into the street. Willing hands seized it and
held it out, expecting her to jump; but she disappeared again,
returning, however, a moment or two later, with a little white robed
child in her arms. Holding her at arms' length out of the window, she
glanced down at the bed, and seeing that it was ready, dropped her. A
tremendous cheer from the crowd told her that the little one was safe... Continue reading book >>